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The king said to himself: 'As long as this Yugabáhu is alive she will not become my wife; therefore I will take steps to destroy Yugabáhu, and take her unto me to wife.' Now, one night Madanarekhá dreamed of the moon; she told her husband the next morning. He said : Princess, your moon will bring us prosperity; you will have a smiling-faced son.' Then in the third month, owing to her pregnant condition, Madanarekhá had a longing to bestow a gift for the purpose of divine worship. Prince Yugabáhu took care that that longing was satisfied. Then, in the season of spring, Yugabáhu went one day with Madanarekhá on a pleasure excursion. While looking at the festive sports of the townspeople, Yugabábu entered an arbour of plantains. But when night came on, King Maņiratha said to himself: 'Now is my opportunity, as Yugabáhu has retired to rest in the wood at night with a very small retinue.' Then King Maniratha, taking his sword in his hand, said to Yugabáhu's guards : Guards, where is my brother Yugabáhu ?! They answered: 'Sir, he is sleeping in the arbour of plantain leaves.' The king said: 'I have come here out of anxiety, lest some enemy might overpower my brother in this wood. With these words in his mouth the king entered the arbour. Yugabáhu, for his part, perceiving that the king, his elder brother, had come, rose up in a hurry. The king said :
Come, my dear brother, let us go to the city; it is not advisable to remain here.' Then Yugabáhu bowed before the king and prepared to start, saying to himself: 'My elder brother is in a special sense my superior; I must not disobey him.' Then the evil-minded king, disregarding the fear of disgrace, smote his brother Yugabáhu with his sword on the shoulder. Then Madanarekhá cried out in her horror: 'Alas! an unknightly act!' Then the soldiers who were near, perceiving that Yugabáhu had received a sword-cut, ran to the place, exclaiming: “What is this? King Maņiratha said: 'I was so careless that I let my sword fall from my hand. Thereupon the soldiers, understanding the whole proceeding, took the king away to
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| SR No. | 016059 |
| Book Title | Kathakoca or Treasury of Stories |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | C H Tawney |
| Publisher | Oriental Books Reprint Corporation New Delhi |
| Publication Year | 1975 |
| Total Pages | 288 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Dictionary & Dictionary |
| File Size | 15 MB |